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Elizabeth Peña, the husky-voiced, Cuban American character actress who brought grit and sensuality to her portrayals, including her breakout role as a revolution-minded maid in the Paul Mazursky satire "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" and a battered wife in the Luis Valdez drama "La Bamba," has died. She was 55. Her death Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles was confirmed by her manager, Gina Rugolo, who said Peña died after a brief illness. No other details were given. Peña appeared in 45 films during her three-decade career. She played a self-absorbed woman whose New York apartment is invaded by aliens in the sci-fi fantasy...

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Elizabeth Peña, the husky-voiced, Cuban American character actress who brought grit and sensuality to her portrayals, including her breakout role as a revolution-minded maid in the Paul Mazursky satire "Down and Out in Beverly Hills"...